Fancy vegan apple pie

In this luxurious apple pie the apples are mixed with a sweetened sour cream and topped with a crunchy layer of crumble.

The scent of apples brings back many memories. A particularly clear one is how we used to walk home from our local bar with friends, tired but giddy, and the smell of apples in the cold night air spilled from the yards we were passing.

I've never made apple pie before and it seems a little sacrilegious to begin with this American recipe. This is also the first baked goods that came out perfect from our fidgety old gas oven. Lucky,  because we had invited three guests for dinner.

The recipe has more stages than the average apple pie, but the result is a rich, creamy cake that resembles cheese cake with some extra crunch from the crumble and bite from the apples!

Fancy apple pie with sour cream and crumble

Crust:

300 ml wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
75g cold dairy-free margarine, cut into pieces

3-5 tbsp cold water

Sour cream filling:
300g dairy-free "sour cream" (I use Dr. Oetker’s Creme Vega, it’s thick and sets well)
100 ml icing sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
700 ml tart apples, peeled and diced (about two big apples)

Crumble topping:
100 ml wheat flour
100 ml sugar
100 ml oat flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
50g melted dairy-free margarine

Note: You'll get the best result using a 23 cm wide springform pan or pie plate with high edges.

Crust: Prepare the pie crust by pinching the flour and salt with the cold margarine into a crumbly, even mass. Add water until dough is just moistened enough to hold together. Form it into a firm lump, wrap it in cling film and let it cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Turn your oven on and set it to 190°C.

Filling: Mix sour cream, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Peel your apples – remove the centres if you like – and cut them into small-ish cubes that you add to the sour cream mix.

Crust: Place the dough on a floured surface or on a non-stick baking sheet. With a rolling pin, roll it out to a round shape that is wider than your pie dish so that the crust will fold up and cover the sides. Roll the flat dough around your rolling pin to carefully move it to the greased dish, and gently press it into place. Pour in the filling. 

Topping: Melt the margarine in a pot or with the microwave oven. Combine and mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add them to the melted margarine. Mix until it's even. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the pie.

Bake the pie for 20-30 minutes, until the filling is set. Cover with tin foil if the edges brown too fast while baking.

Let the pie cool and the filling set before cutting into it.


Recipe modified from Finnish baking blog Lunni leipoo, who adjusted it from The Caramel Cookie blog (which doesn't seem to exist anymore).